My last semester of school is officially in full swing and the anticipation for fall and all that it brings is everywhere I look. From advertisements for the Pumpkin Spice Latte to girls wearing scarves and guys wearing beanies, it’s everywhere. I am so excited for all that this fall brings. Here are just a few things worth mentioning:
1) My sister gets married in November! The first Tobey kid wedding is just around the bend, and it’s time to kick it into full gear wedding stuffs.
2) You guys, no matter how much I dislike school with a fiery passion, I am excited when I go to class because I know that in 109 days (and counting) I will be handed my diploma and finished with college. What. A. Relief.
3) In 46 days (and counting!), I will get to meet my P Squad family! Ahhh, I can’t take the excitement! It’s actually happening and this is for real. It isn’t a dream anymore. The closer and closer training camp gets the more real the Race becomes. Everyone is working so hard to raise the $3,500 deadline by September 26 and squad wars are in full force! You better watch yourself M, N, O, and Q! There ain’t no party like a P Squad party.
4) My brother comes home from British Columbia where we have had no contact except for the occasional letter for the past 4 months. I miss him so incredibly much, and I can’t want to give him a huge hug.
5) God is doing incredible things in my life. He doesn’t stop taking care of me… ever. For example, I figured that I need about $2000 for “spending and emergency” money for the year I will be abroad. I honestly had no clue how that was going to happen because I was spending so much on equipment for the Race. But, I knew the Lord was good and that he would provide the amount that I needed. I prayed for $2000. Well, I got just that, friends. People reimbursing me for the equipment, people still wanting to give even though I am fully funded, people coming up with creative ways to help me out in whatever way they can. The community support I have received has been a massive blessing. Many of my squad mates can’t say the same.
6) Fall weather is just the best. Cool mornings sitting around campus with a hot cup of coffee in hand and a chunky scarf and boots are a favorite. Yes, yes, yes. It will be glorious.
So, in regards to 3 and 5, I have a favor to ask of you, my faithful readers and supporters. Would you pray for my squad? Pray that their hearts would not be discouraged as people speak against their efforts to fund raise. That they would find peace and rest in the line of the Enemy’s fire. Prayer that they would reach each financial deadline with no worrying or stress. Prayer that their hearts would be fully prepared in their own anticipation of fall and everything that it brings to their lives. And I also ask that you would pray about giving even just $11 dollars to one or more of them in honor of the 11 countries we will be ministering in. You can find the rest of my squad on the left under the tab “Meet My Squad.”
Join me in rejoicing that the Lord is good, and He never ceases to do incredible things in favor of those who are seeking Him. I was recently led to Psalm 96:
Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth!
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
Yes, the world is established;
it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the Lord, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness.
This is only the beginning of the good and marvelous things He is going to do in my life and the lives of my squad mates! He keeps showing up in our lives and doing miracles even when we least expect it. I wish I could tell you all the stories that I have heard from my squad, but I prompt you to take a look at some of their blogs and see all that the Lord has done, and continues to do, in their lives. They are incredible people with huge hearts of gold! I ask you to either choose 11 of them to pray for by name each day and/or give $11 to one whose story touches your life.
That’s all I have for now 🙂 Thanks for reading this update of sorts!
